Microsoft has confirmed that it will remove Together Mode from Teams, that feature that simulated a meeting room with all attendees seated together. Launched in the midst of the pandemic as an attempt to humanize video calls, it is now considered an unnecessary gimmick. The company prefers to focus its efforts on improving video quality and service stability.
Goodbye to virtual seats, hello to technical optimization 🛠️
The removal will be gradual: the Together Mode button will disappear from the view menu, along with custom scenes and seat assignment. Microsoft argues that these elements consume resources without adding real value to productivity. Instead, improvements in video codec performance and latency reduction will be prioritized. The decision responds to usage data showing a significant drop in the adoption of this feature after the end of lockdown.
Together Mode is going to the same place as your desire to turn on the camera 😅
Together Mode is leaving, but not before reminding us that pretending we are in an auditorium with colleagues in pajamas was never realistic. Microsoft realizes that we prefer to see people in little squares rather than in a virtual theater. Now we just need them to remove the beach background with fake waves. At least, the background blur feature will remain to hide the mess at home.